Official CSS Syllabus Item: Pakistan's Domestic Affairs → Political — 20 Marks (shared with Economic & Social)

Answer Structure

1. Context/background 2. Current situation (facts, dates, figures) 3. Key challenges 4. Government response/policy 5. Way forward

Current Political Landscape

• Coalition government: PML-N + PPP + allies, PM Shehbaz Sharif; President Asif Ali Zardari (PPP)
• PTI remains largest opposition bloc despite sustained legal/organizational pressure on leadership (Imran Khan imprisoned since Aug 2023)
• Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) increasingly active on federal-provincial and foreign-policy-adjacent issues

Ongoing Political Crisis (since April 2022) — Timeline

• 10 April 2022: Imran Khan ousted via no-confidence vote; PDM coalition forms govt
• Nov 2022: assassination attempt on Imran Khan during protest march
• May 2023: Imran Khan's arrest triggers "May 9" riots — attacks on military installations, major civil-military flashpoint
• Aug 2023: Imran Khan imprisoned again
• 2024: General elections — rigging allegations; PTI-backed independents perform strongly despite restrictions
• 2024–26: PTI under sustained pressure; Imran Khan remains imprisoned

Institutional Dimension

• Military's continued influence over policy/governance flagged by independent assessments (e.g., BTI Country Report) as weakening democratic institutions
• Establishment reportedly "unreconciled" to government-opposition accommodation
• Direct echo of historical pattern: civilian rule constrained by establishment influence even without formal coup (see Post-Partition Political Era notes)

August 2026 Update